Folding bed



(No Model.)

A. MATUSKA.

FOLDING BED.

No. 451,564. Patented May 5, 1891.

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UNITED ST TES PATENT CFFICE.

ANTON MATUSKA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,564, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed August 15, 1890.

To ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON MATUsKA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

- In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a ver' tical longitudinal section of a bed embodying the invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, one of the hinged parts being shown slightly elevated. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the two sides thereof, the intermediate portion being broken away. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a bed embodying the invention under slight modification.

The invention consists in certain features of novelty that are particularly pointed out in the claims hereinafter.

The drawings show it applied to what is known to the trade as a mantel bed; but it is equally applicable to any other variety of folding bed having a spring mattress the efliciency of which depends upon its being stretched taut. The bed shown has three relatively movable parts or sectionsnamely, the stationary part A, the main part B, which is suitably hinged at one end to the part A and at the other endis supported (when open) by hinged legs C, and the foot part D, which is connected to the main part B by hinges E. The invention is not limited to any particular manner of hinging these various parts together, nor to any particular construction of the parts themselves.

F represents the springmattress, which may be of the woven-wire or any other variety the efficiency of which depends upon its being stretched taut. Its opposite ends are secured to rails G and H, which are supported by the parts B and D at the head and foot of the bed, respectively. At least one, and preferably both, of these rails are so supported as to be capable of lateral movement in the direction of the length of the bed; but the invention is not limited to any particular means for supporting them. In the drawings they are shown supported by four metallic sockets I, two secured to the part B near the head- Serial No. 362,079. (No model.)

board (one to each of the side rails) and two secured to the part D near the foot-board, (one to each of the side rails.) The sockets have parallel top and bottom flanges united at one side by a third flange, forming three sides of a rectangle. Their open sides are presented toward the head of the bed, so as to limit the movement of the rails G and II toward the foot, for a reason that will appear presently. Ordinarily these rails are secured fixedly to the parts of the bed by which they are carried. \Vith this arrangement the mattress attains its maximum tension when its line of strain passes through the pivotal point of the moving part, and consequently its tension will gradually decrease as thelineof strain passes this point, either upward or downward. In lowering the bed this causes a sudden jerk, which either throws'the part being lowered downward with a bang or else, it this part be held up, throws upward thefoot end of the part which has alreadybeen lowered.

These objections are apparent, and to'obviatethem and at the same time provide means whereby the mattress may be placed under proper tension with a minimum expenditure of force and without overstraining it is the object of the present invention. It is to this end that one or both of the rails G and H are made laterally movable, and one set of the devices now to be describedis placed on each side of the bed. As those on both sides are alike, a description of those on one side only will suffice, similarparts on both sides being indicated by similar letters.

J is a rod which is secured to the inside of the side rail of the foot part D by metallic straps K, so as to be capable of longitudinal movement relatively to said foot part. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this rod is of uniform thickness from end to end and has its end next the foot-board secured to the side of the rail H. This rod is of such length that its end will project slightly beyond the end of the part D when the rail His at the limit of its movement toward the head of the bed, as shown by Fig. 2, its movement in this direction being limited by a stop L of any suitable form. The stop shown in the drawings is simply a block secured to the inside of the side rail. To this block and a similar one L the metallic straps K are secured, the blocks serving to hold the rod .l the proper distance from the side rail of the bed. \Vhen not resisted, the contractile force of the mattress will draw the rail II and rod J to the positions shown by Fig. 2, so that this must be considered the normal condition of the parts while opening the bed. Situated in the path traveled by the end of the rod J and securely fastened to the part B is a part M, hereinafter called a step. This step, which is preferably made of metal, is secured by screws to the side rail of the part B, so as to project an inch or more beyond the end of said rail, and in the instance given in Fig. 1 it has in its end a slight cavity, which receives the end of the rod J and confines itagainst lateral movement, thereby preventing the lateral disengagement of the rod and step. As the foot part D is lowered from the position shown by Fig. 2 to that shown by Fig. 1 the end of the rod J comes in contact with the step M, whereby the actual longitudinal movement of the rod is checked. Afterthis takes place a further downward movement of the part D will cause a relative longitudinal movement between said part and the red I and an actual lateral movement of said red, the rail II and the end of the rod to which it is secured mow ing in an are about the step M.

The step M, and also the end of the rod J that engages it, are so situated that when the bed is completely open, as shown by Fig. 1, they will be slightly above the line of strain of the mattress, so as to lock thepartsin open position.

In the form of the invention shown by Fig. 4E the red .I is not attached to the rail II, but simply bears against it, and the step is without. a socket for receiving the end of the red, the ends of both the step and rod being enlarged laterally and rounded off, so as to afford ample hearing.

If the part corresponding to the parts 13 and D is formed in more than two relatively-movable sections, then the stretching mechanism above described may be applied to both of the end sections, so as to move both of the rails G and II instead of only one, as above described. I desire to have it understood,

therefore, that the term step is intended to comprehend any device atl'ording a hearing for the end of the stretcher-rod.

It will be understood that by making the mattress sufficiently short it will be given an initial tension (before the rods J comein contact with steps M) by the movement of the part D upon its hinge, as in beds of customary construction, the final tension being produced by said rods in the manner already described.

If desired, the blocks L and L may be dispensed with and the straps K secured directly to the side rails, as in Fig. 4.

The drawings show spiral springs f, situated beneath and supporting the mattress; but these may be omitted if desired.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with two relatively movable parts of a foldingbed, a movable rail supported by one of said parts, and a springmattress having one of its ends seen red to the other of said parts and the other of its ends secured to the said rail, of the rods J, secured to one of said parts, capable of longitudinal movement relatively thereto, and engaging said movable rail, and steps M, secured to the other of said parts and adapted to engage said rods, said steps and the ends of said rods that engage them being situated above the line of strain of the mattress, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with two parts I and D, the hinges E, by which they are connected, the mattress F, and the rails G and II, to which its ends are secured, of the sockets I, secured to the parts I and D and supporting said rails, the rail II being laterally movable in its socket, the rods J, secured to the part D, movable longitudinally relatively thereto and engaging the movable rail II, and the steps M, secured to the part 1 above the mattress and in the paths of the ends of rods .I,

substantially as set forth.

ANTON MAIUSKA. Witnesses:

GEORGE 1". BARTON, L. M. HOPKINS. 

